Comparison of representation of grassland an NNRs, NCR sites and SSSIs The comparative representation of grassland types in sites with national status and protection is summarised in Table 14. Representation is a complex function of extent of the resource and evolving criteria for site selection and perceived threats, set against a changing pattern of land use. The development of the Natural Areas concept will allow representation relevant to the 1990s to be examined. Nevertheless some comments can be made on the national data gathered to date. On a national scale, the NNR and NCR series have a greater preponderance of calcareous grassland (especially chalk grassland) compared to the SSSI series (Table 14). This myin part be due to the early recognition of the importance of calcareous grasslands, reflected in the acquisition of NNRs and choice of NCR sites. The SSSI series is more balanced in terms of calcareous/neutral grasslands, perhaps partly due to the more recent recognition of the scarcity of neutral grasslands and their rapid rate of loss. It should be remembered that even though the numbers of sites with neutral grassland approach those with calcareous grasslands, the actual area notified is much less as most neutral grasslands are only a few hectares in size. As a comparison, the 1995 national collation of chalk grassland information found that 75% of calcareous grassland on chalk is now SI,ie 19,000 ha. This is about double the entire national resource of botanically interesting neutral grassland (Table 2). Lowland wet grassland is identified as a priority habitat for conservation in the English Nature’s review of context and priorities for bird conservation (Brown and Grice 1993) and by the RSPB (Housden et al1991). Examination of the under- representation of wet neutral grassland in the NNR and NCR series, when cornpared to %I, would appear to be timely (Table 14). Knowledge of the extent and nature conservation interest of lowland acid grasslands is limited and this type may not be adequately represented on statutory sites. Acid grassland is usually present in a mosaic with other habitats, principally heathland. Table 13 shows that 80% occurs in sit& with other habitats, and in two thirds of sites it is associated with other grassland types. Table 14 Percentage representation of grassland types in NNRs, NCR sites and SSSIs grassland I I I Note: Sites ran contain more than one typc of grassland *Note: Interpretation difficult, myinclude some mire types. tWet neutral (28%)+wet neutral grassland/fen (9%) **Excludes Calaminarhn (mehllophyte)sites (3) 34 7.4 Representation of grassland on SSSIs in relation to the total resource At present there is a lack of comprehensive national information about areas of grassland on SsSls or in the wider countryside, but a few examples are listed below from individual counties where estimates have been made. An exception is for chalk grassland where the national assessment of current SSSI status indicated that 304 SSIs include calcareous grassland, covering 75% of the resource. The proportion of the resource that is scheduled is very variable across geographic areas and between grassland types. When the composition and characteristics of Natural Areas are worked out, these variations and the rationale for them, if any, needs to be examined in detail. CI Dorset, neutral grassland (Porky and Ulf-Hansen 1991) - 79% in SSSI. U East Sussex, neutral grassland (Steven 3990) - 18,6%of known resource in SSSI and LNRs. Cl Yorkshire Dales Area of Search, neutral grassland (Mercer 1992) - 0.4% of a relatively large resource (c.2800 ha) in SSSIs. Cr Bedfordshire, neutral grassland (Soden 1989) x 38% in SsSIs. U Worcestershire, neutral grassland (NVC type MG5) (Stephen 1993) - 12% in SSSIs. Cl East Midlands (Beds, Carnbs, Leics, Lincs, Northants), Jurassic (Oolitic) limestone grassland (Soden 1991) - 87% in SSSIs. 8. Non-statutory priorities Apart from statutory and NCR designations, the relative priorities for the conservation of grassland habitats and species have been expressed in a number of ways. 8.1 Biodiversity report for the UK The report of the UKSteering Croup (1995) lists key habitats which merit costed action plans and are thus priorities for conservation action. Key habitats are defined as: 0 those for which the UK has an internarional obligation; U habitats at risk, eg with a high rate of decline, or which are rare; 0 areas important for key speices; 0 areas, particularly marine areas, which may be critical for organisms inhabiting wider ecosystems. 35 Grassland key habitats or those where grassland is an important element of the habitat are: r;II Lowland hay meadows 0 Upland hay meadows 0 Lowland dry acid grassland a *Purple moor grass and rush pastures 0 Lowland calcareous grassland U *Coastal and floodplain grazing marsh Cl Lowland wood pastures and parklands (* these habitats have costed action plans described in Volume 2 of the report. Other action plans wiU be produced over the next few years). 8 2 Habitat conservation priorities in England A report produced by English Nature’s Habitats Branch, before EN’s reorganisation (Moffat 1994), identified conservation priorities for habitats based on several criteria such as international importance, area in England, loss since 1940, threat, and fragmentation. The study did not take account of individual species supported by the habitats and was intended to be used with species information to provide framework for setting targets for action. The relative priorities assigned to lowland grassland habitats are shown in Table 15. 36 Table 15 Priority for action for English habitats (A = highest priority, E = lowest). Habitat Habitat priority Brackish lagoons 1 I Chalkcliffs I A Lowland wet heath Maritime heath Raised mire Sollgenous base poor fen (lowland) Topogenous base rich fen Upland blanket mire * Upland calcareous grasslands - Upland dwarf shrub Beech/yew woods Dune wetlands Eastern oakwoods Eutraphic running waters Fen meadow Intertidal sand and mudflats C Western oakwoods Coastal dunes Hard cliffs % Hedws Maritime masslands ~ D Oligootrophic running waters Wet woodland Arable Coniferous plantations Other woods E Reservoirs Running waters (degraded) Standing waters (degraded) - Upland acidic- passland 8.3 Natural Area profiles Following the development of English Nature’s Natural Area concept, the national significance of each Natural Area in terms of its botanically interesting semi-namd grassland has been assessed Oefferson 19%). The ratings range from ’outstanding‘ with more than 40% of the England resource a grassland type or three or more types with 10-40%, to ‘negligible#for Natural Areas where semi- natural lowland grassland is extremely scarce. Examples of outstanding Natural Areas are Bxeckland, Greater Cotswolds, and the North Pennines. 8.4 Priority habitats for birds The report by Brown and Grice (1993) described the broad habitats of particular sigruficance for birds, either for nesting, feeding, loafing and roosting. In addition the relative priorities among these habitats for bird conservation were defined and are shown in summary form in Table 16. Lowland wet grassland is a high priority while dry grassland is regarded as a medium priority. Table 16 Prioritization of bird habitats in England Bird habitat Priority Rating Montane LOW Upland heaths Medium Upland mires Medium Uplands grasslands LOW Broad leaved woods/scrub Medium ,, Built up arms I LOW I Priority ranking was scored accordhg to the following criteria: Area of habitat, past losses, predicted losses and number of priority bird species. 38 8.5 Lower plant assemblages The UK Plant Conservation Strategy (Palmer 1994), lists several assemblages of lower plants (bxyophytes, lichens, fungi and algae) that are internationally important. These assemblages are described in Table 17 and those that are related to grassland habitats in England are highlighted. Table 17 Internationally important assemblages of lower plants Bryophytes, lichens and hngi of Atlantic woodlands, especially those of western Scotland. Atlantic-influenced arctic-alpine communities. Bryophytes of raised and blanket mires. The northern Atlantic hepatic mat, a liverwort cornunity unique to Ireland and the west of Scotland. Bryopytes and lichens of machair grassland (found only in western Ireland and Scotland) and dune communities. I Lichen and brvovhvte assemblages of rockv sea coasts. I Brvoahvte communities of sandstone formations in south-eastern Enaland. Lichen and fungus assemblagesof Caledonian pine forest. Epiphytic bryophytes and lichens of ancient parkland trees and pasture woodlands. Pollution-sensitiveepiphyk assemblages still frequent in the western UK but which have declined or disappeared elsewhere in Europe. Algae of brackish lagoons and estuaries. Marine algal communities, including maerl beds, Ascophyllurn nodosum var. mrkaii beds, communities of tide-swept narrows associated with sea lochs/loughs and communities of micro-algae on chalk cliffs. 8.6 Species Recovery Programme English Nature has a programme to actively improve the survival prospects of rare and endangered species, through action such as species reintroduction and habitat management. Grassland species that are either being proposed, or that are in projects that are pre, full or post-recovery in type in 1995/96 are listed in Table 18. 39 Table 18 Species Recovery Programme projects that cover grassland species r-- - I Svecies I Grassland type I I ~ower~lants I I . I -&kland lichens, BueZZia asterella, Fdgensia